


Giant

by yeaka



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, M/M, Vignette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-19
Updated: 2020-01-19
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:34:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22314136
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yeaka/pseuds/yeaka
Summary: Ralph escaped another monster.
Relationships: Luther/Ralph (Detroit: Become Human)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 65





	Giant

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Detroit: Become Human or any of its contents, and I’m not making any money off this.

It’s _horrible_. Horrible, horrible, so much worse than the house Ralph came from—the broken one in the middle of town that stank of human blood but was at least somewhat _safe_. It gave Ralph shelter, kept the rain out of his hair, and this house is bigger but so much _scarier_ —Ralph wishes he’d never come. He doesn’t understand why the other android told him to. It said he’d be safe. But it _lied_. Zlatko is a horrible man. The worst kind of human. _Ralph hates humans_.

Ralph’s scared of other things too, like monsters in the shadows and _bears_ , big, terrifying beasts that roar at poor Ralph when he’s just trying to hide. He broke free, but so did the others. They converged on the human, swarming him, and Ralph feared they’d swarm him next, or maybe he just _feared_ ; his trauma’s just compounded. He ran. He ran outside and huddled against the side of the building. He hugs his knees and rocks back and forth, sobbing because it won’t stop raining, and Ralph can’t see much in the rain. It’s getting into the exposed circuits on his cheek. Ralph just wants to go _home_.

But Ralph doesn’t have a home. He doesn’t have an owner, a family, not even a friend. He’s horribly _alone_. He catches movement in the corner of his one good eye and wants to run, but he’s too petrified to move. 

The figure looms closer, towering over Ralph, _huge_ —an enormous, dark-skinned man with a kind face but muscles that could split Ralph in two. Ralph whimpers and cowers back, spluttering frantically, “Please! Don’t hurt Ralph!”

“Shhh,” the man says. It sounds so soothing, but Ralph isn’t fooled. The man comes right in front of Ralph and slowly kneels down—Ralph cowers against the broken siding. The man lifts a hand and peels back the tips of his fingers, revealing milky white. 

Another android. Ralph’s programs stop whirring quite so frantically, though he’s still dizzy and crazed. The android murmurs, “I’m Luther. Do you remember me?”

Ralph shudders and nods. The bad human introduced them before everything went wrong. Luther tells him, “It’s okay, Ralph. We stopped Zlatko. It’s over.”

Ralph whimpers pitifully again. He doesn’t know what that means. Luther clarifies, “He’s deactivated. He can’t hurt you anymore.”

Deactivated. _Dead_. But humans have _souls_ , have ghosts—they could haunt Ralph, they’re _evil_ — 

Luther reaches out and puts one large hand on Ralph’s quivering shoulder. The little squeeze stills some of Ralph’s shaking. Luther says, “Please, come inside.”

Ralph doesn’t know if he should. If he can. He doesn’t think he’ll ever move again. Luther closes in, hand sliding along behind Ralph’s head, and then Luther’s _holding him._ Ralph’s eyes go wide in the embrace. Luther tells him, “I’m sorry, Ralph. Sorry you had to see that, sorry I didn’t help you when you first came. But I’m awake now. I’ll protect you. Protect all of them.”

No one’s ever protected Ralph before. No one’s even _liked_ Ralph. But Luther rubs Ralph’s back and holds Ralph close like Ralph’s something precious and worth saving. 

Tentatively, Ralph holds Luther back. He can feel how big and _strong_ Luther is, and that should terrify him, but somehow, the fear’s subsiding. Now he’s only curious and impressed. Stunned but pleased. He nuzzles into the crux of Luther’s neck and breathes, “Okay.”

Gently, Luther shifts his grip. He lifts Ralph up, right off the ground, and cradles Ralph against his chest. He carries Ralph inside out of the rain, and he keeps his word.


End file.
